Safety belt for airplanes



Nov. 22, `1949 E. FRANZ sAFETY BELT Fon AIRPLANES Filed Sept. 25, 1945 [aM/m Z. 55m/z.

ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 22, 1949 SAFETY BELT Fon vAmrmlsuss Edward L. Franz, Hillsdale, NJ assigner to Rob-l Y inson Aviation, Inc., tion of New York rReterboro, N. J., a corpora- Applcation September 25, 1945, Serial No. 618,472

3v Claims.

' This invention relates to safety belts such as used 'in airplanes. Such belts are customarily supplied to hold passengers in their seats in casev of emergency. As one enters an airplane, the loose ends of the belts are ordinarily found on the seats or dangling toward the iloor. It is believed that this condition can be improved from the standpoints of both safety and convenience. The passenger sometimes sits down on the belts which become entangled with his clothes, and it is somewhat of astruggle for thepassenger to nd the two halyesof the buckle and engage them to fasten himself in place. f The purpose of` my improvement is to automatically retract both portions of the safety belt when not in use by the passenger. The two two halves of the belt are then withdrawn in take-up reels with only the ends of the buckles visible at the Ysides of. the seat. Under this ar-y rangement the buckles and straps are held clear of the seatvbut the buckles arevisible and within easy reach.V After the passenger is seated,l

the two portions of the belt are clasped and pulled clear out `as far as they will go, at which point the buckle is clamped. This eliminates the usual condition of having the two halves of the unfastened belt lying loose on Vthei seat to inconveniencethe passenger when he first sits down. While rtension is always available to re-k tract the belts out of sight when desired, means are provided jto' ,relieve the .passenger-.from this tension when the belt is in use.,

. I am aware that retracting reels have been` used on safety belts for the purpose of permitting additional freedom of motion to the pilot or passenger, allowing the safety belt to be extended temporarily While still clamped, and

then 'retracted by a reel to its previous operat-A ing position. Such devices did not take the belts out of the way when they were not in use, but left them around on the seats as before. The present invention is not concerned with permitting additional freedom of action when the belt is in use, but is primarily concerned with the disposition of the belt when not in use.

In addition to the general purposes of the invention as above outlined, various specic objects incidental to the mechanical functioning will become apparent as the description proceeds.

Referring now to the drawings,

Fig. 1 shows an airplane seat with the present invention installed and the safety belts in their housings as when not in use.

. v 2 Fig. 2 is a -sideyiew section to show the retracting reel.

Fig. 3 is a detail cross-section on the line 3T3; of Fig. 2 showing the adjustable tension spring"v in the reel. v

Fig. 4 is a detau side lview of. a -'device limit-f ing the retraction. Y

. Fig. 5- is a detail .sideY viewpartly in cross-sec;A

tion of the stop or detent---limiting extension and` relieving the belt from tensionfwhen not in use.

Similar reference- Anumerals refer to similar parts thruout the various views.

Referring now toLFig. A1,;the airplane seat I has provided at the two sides of each'passenger; a pair of casings 2 for housing retractible safety belts 3, the belts being shown extended in broken lines in Fig.-1 butnormally retracted withinthe.

housings 2 when not in use.H When so retracted the buckles or clamps t0n-the ends of the belts remain projecting fromthehousings so as toA be Avisible and accessible, as shown at the right.

seat-in-Fig. 1..

shown inv Fig. 1 and-` is secured thereto, with --its projecting neck or guide portion 6 extending .up the side of the seat, generally somewhat diagonally from back to front. .The shaft or pivot 1 on which thedrum or reel 5 rotates extends in general in a direction lfrom front to back of the, seat, so that the llat of the belt 3 Will lie in a plane along the` side ofV the `seat I as it is ex-y tended Yand so lieV smoothly overthe body or,

thighs of the passenger. Y

In Fig. 2 the belt 3 is Vshown almost entirely wound up on the reel 5 with the buckle or clamp 4 at the end projecting from the neck 6 so that it can be readily drawn out and clasped. The belt 3 is wound up on the reel 5 by the action of the spiral spring I0 whose-buter end Il 'is at tached to the drum 5 and whose inner end l2 is attached to the shaft 1, as shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. Referring to Fig; 3`jit will be seen that the shaft 1 can be turned by? the adjusting lever I4 to give the desired degree of tension to the spring lll, after which adjustment the lever Il is locked in place by the screwl 5.

While the buckle 4 if large enough will prevent the belt 3 from retracting entirely within the housing, it is generally desirable to provide a built-in stop to limit the retraction independent of the belt tension, so that the belt can still OFFICE] fg@ of the housing partlyl in.A

is cut in the face plate 2| attached to the left` side of the reel 5 shown in Fig. 3.

When the safety belt 3 is extended and in use, clamped around the body of the passenger, the action of the reel spring I would normally tend to maintain a tension on the'belt 3 which, though gentle, might become uncomfortable to the passenger. To obviate any suchf discomfort, lugs 25 are attached to the belt as shown in Fig. 2 in the retracted position and more in detail in Fig. 5 in the extended position, when they come into use."v Referring more particularly to Fig'. 5, there are spring fingers 26 located in the neck 6 of the Housing 2 on both sides of the belt 3. These ngers 26 are adapted to' engagel the lugs 25 on the belt 3 and act as a detent mechanism to take the pull of the spring l0 off the belt-3 when it is in use. The detent action is readily disengaged by a slight pull and released when the belt is unbuckled, whereupon-the belt`3 will retract itself within the housing 2;

A pair of belts at eachseat are generally preferable, though of course a longer single belt may be used if desired, with the free end hooking on the heat. The enclosing housings keep the belts clean.

` The general action will nowbe apparent. The' devices having been installed under the seat with their at guides 6 alongk the sides of the seat, the passenger on entering-the airplane finds the seats clear of any'harness orV straps, and takes his seat without dificulty'.y When he desires to use the safety belt, he grasps the slightly projecting ends, pulls out the safety belts from their housings and buckles them on. When he unclasps the safety belts they automatically retract into their housings out of the Way. When the passenger leaves the airplane the seats are left clear.

While I have in the foregoing described certain s'pecic forms by way of example, it will be understood that they aremerely for purposes of illustration to make clear the principles of the invention, which is not limited to the particular forms shown but is susceptible to Various modications and adaptations in different Vinstallations as will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as stated inthe following claims.

' I claim:

1. In a safety belt mechanism, the combination of a seat, a safety belt adapted to be engaged around the body of the occupant of the seat when in use, a detent on said belt for taking the tension oi the belt when around the body, a retracting mechanism attached to said belt for withdrawing the belt from the upper side of the seat when the belt is not in use; anda guide for said belt at the side of the seat for holding the retracted belt in a position readily accessible to the occupant in case of need, whereby the seat will be kept clear for occupancy when the belt is not in use.

2. In a'safety hcw-mechanism, the combination of a seat, a casing below said seat, a reel in said casing, a retracting spring for said reel arranged to withdraw the belt from the upper side of the seat when-the belt is not in use, a safety belt on said reel, said belt being operatively connected to said reel and adapted to be engaged around the body of the occupant of the seat when in use, a detent on said belt for taking `the tension off the belt.

when aroundthe body, anda guide. .for saidbelt holding the end ofthe belt in a readily accessible position at the side of the seatwhen retracted, whereby the seat will be kepticlear for occupancy when the belt is not in use.

3. In a safety belt mechanism, thecombination of a seat, a casing below said seat, a reel inl saidy casing, a retracting spring for said reel, a safetyL belt on said reel, said beltbeing-'operatively con nected to said reel and adaptedto be engaged around the body of the'occupant ofthe seat lwhen in use, a detent on saidbeltffor 'Staking theten` sion oi the belt when around the bodyfa stopv mechanism limiting the retraction of said'belt on said reel and arranged so that the;belt:may be entirely withdrawn from the occupied portion' of the seat when not in use, and a guide for "said:

belt holding the end of thezbeltinl a readily accessible position at the sidel of" the seat when'retracted, whereby the seat'will be kept clear for occupancy when the belt is not-'in use.l

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:-

UNITED'STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,071,903 Shively Feb. 23, 1937. r '2,263,348 Barros Nov. 18, 1941.

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 582,985 FranceV 0013.24, 1924` EDWARD L. FRANZ-- 1 

